


Amicus

by TaurusPixie



Category: Hellsing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alucard as Girlycard, Child Abuse, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Friendship, Gen, Graphic Violence, Horror, Human Seras, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sexual Abuse, Mental Health Issues, Mystery, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon, Religious Fanaticism, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Strong Language, Supernatural - Freeform, aged-down characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:21:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28575924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaurusPixie/pseuds/TaurusPixie
Summary: Seras Victoria has an imaginary friend that came to the rescue one day after a string of mysterious disappearances in the orphanage. Except they may not be imaginary... and they might be something so much more special than a mere human friend.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings and welcome to my second Hellsing fic. Just a little side project that I have been working on. 
> 
> WARNING: This story contains graphic violence, strong language, child abuse, abusive behaviour in general, religious extremism, references to sexual abuse and themes of mental health, particularly involving PTSD. Reader discretion is highly advised.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The religious themes in this story in no way represent my own views nor does it represent religion in general. No offense or disrespect is intended. This is written purely from the narrow point of view of a character and only represents isolated groups, not everyone who follows that religion. Furthermore, most of the incidents within this story are based on real life experiences within Catholic institutions, so once again, reader discretion is advised.

Walls closed in as the little blonde girl pushed against them, struggling to fight for breath. Sweat coated her skin along with dirt and blood, further suffocating her. The screams were deafening. The gun shots were frightening. And the laughter… that laughter… It was the laughter of the monsters that had haunted Seras throughout her life. That forced themselves upon her every conscious and unconscious nightmare. That sought her out forever and always. Only the tomb she was encased in provided some sort of protection. It was like she had been sealed alive inside her own coffin.

"Mummy!" Seras couldn't help but whimper as there was another high pitched scream. It echoed off every wall in the house as if they were stood in the middle of a large cathedral instead of a tiny terraced house.

Daddy was gone. That much Seras knew. She had watched as the blood had squirted from his body as her mummy had picked her up and ran. But where could they go? Where could they hide? They had found them. Seras didn't know who these bad men were, but she was smart enough to determine that they were cross with her daddy. The bad guys were coming to get them. They were coming to get Seras. She needed to run. To flee! To act fast!

But she couldn't.

All she could do was sob, gasping for air in the tiny cupboard under the stairs. The air was thick and musky through weeks and months of being sealed tight without opening. It choked her. It clouded the young girl's mind as she curled up into an even tighter ball, the screams of mummy finally ceasing with one final, gargled gasp. Then there was nothing. The silence rang in Seras' ears and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut in the hopes that all of this was just a bad dream.

That's when the footsteps began.

They creaked along the floorboards of the old house, getting closer, and closer, and closer, and closer.

They had found her.

The door opened, more musty air filling the girl's lungs before she opened her eyes, only to shield them again from the bright source of light that was pointed at her. Colours danced behind her closed eyelids as Seras whimpered, braced and awaiting for the pain that was likely to come. Only it didn't. Instead, all she felt were hard eyes gazing down at her, like she was the most disgusting insect to every walk the planet. She shrank back even more.

"Get up!" a familiar female voice growled at her.

Seras didn't move.

"I said, get up!" the woman repeated impatiently again, this time grabbing Seras by the arm and yanking her out of the cupboard and into the small cellar.

The little girl's eyes flew open wide again, quickly adjusting to the darkness of the cellar now that she no longer had a torch being shone directly on her. She coughed and spluttered, yanking her arm out of the nun's iron grip before backing away from the cupboard as if a lion had been stored in there just waiting to pounce on her at any second.

Sister Katherine merely glowered down her pointed nose, her lips permanently pursed as if she had been sucking on a lemon. The sour faced middle aged woman had always been Seras' least favourite. They had taken an immediate disliking to each other upon first meeting. Sour Face was a nickname that Seras enjoyed using against her immensely. Though it was for that very reason that she found herself locked in the cupboard in the first place.

"Have you repented, you devil child?" Sour Face sneered down at her.

Seras took one last look at the dark, damp cupboard before shuddering. "Yes, miss."

"Have you begged the Lord for forgiveness for your sinful ways?"

"Yes, miss."

Sour Face glared down at her with narrowed eyes, her lips shrivelling up even more. Normally, Seras would have giggled at this reaction, but in their constant battle of wits with each other, Seras always lost. She didn't feel like fighting anymore tonight. She just wanted to be left alone. The screams of her mummy and daddy were still raw and loud in her mind. As if in response to this, the scar on her abdomen from the gunshot twitched. It was like wriggly worms had crawled under her skin there.

"Then you may go join the other children for tea and prayers," Sour Face finally relented. Even evil witches had to get tired or torturing children at some point, right?

Without saying anything, and before Sour Face could change her mind, Seras darted up the old, worn stone steps that led out of the cellar. She yanked the wooden door open as fast as she could, all but throwing herself out into the hallway. Following her nose, Seras' stomach grumbled at the thought and promise of food, having been starved for most of the day. Sour Face had only brought her bread to eat while she spent the day locked up in the cupboard.

"Christ's body should be enough to sustain you," the stupid sour-faced nun had said before once again slamming the door in Seras' face and locking her inside.

No it wasn't. If anything, the stale bread had made her feel even hungrier.

Another stomach growl later and Seras had finally made it to the main hall where all of the other children began to seat themselves. There wasn't many of them. Just three rows of long tables that could seat about five children on each side. There was a spare seat in the corner of one of the tables which suited Seras just fine. She didn't really like interacting with the other children anyway. They were annoying.

Taking her seat, Seras reached for the metal jug of water before pouring herself a cup and drinking greedily. The stuffy air of the cellar had completely dried to throat, and before the girl knew it, the cup was empty. She was halfway through pouring herself another glass when the jug was snatched off her.

"Save some for us!" Katie, a girl about two years older than Seras, yelled as she snatched the water off her.

Seras blew strands of her overgrown blonde fringe out of her face, but otherwise didn't say or do anything. The last thing she needed was getting into trouble again. She at least needed something to eat first. While waiting for her food, her eyes couldn't help but travel around the main hall, hoping to locate anything that might distract her from the burning hunger pains. The stone walls were as bland as ever apart from the odd crucifix or portrait of a saint. Seras never paid enough attention in church, mass or Sunday school to recognise who they were. They all looked the same.

As always, her eyes once again found themselves drawn to the large crucifix that was hanging from the main supporting beam of the hall. This time a statue of Jesus was carved into it, the artist making no effort to hide the brutality of the Lord's sacrifice. Seras always couldn't help but stare at the red painted blood leaking from where the nails stabbed into him. It was something that Seras always found morbidly fascinating. His crown of thorns cascaded blood down his face like a majestic waterfall, his expression peaceful as he experienced one of the most painful execution methods in history. Seras could remember that much from the teachings of the nuns and priests.

While it frightened the other children, blood and gore didn't bother Seras in the slightest. In fact, violence fascinated her, especially after stabbing one of the bad guys that had killed her parents. Another sign to the sisters that Seras was a devil child.

Seras thoughts were interrupted by one of the sisters placing a warm plate down in front of her before moving away to do the same with the other children. It was by that point that the little girl only had eyes for her food. It looked like it was roast beef today, served with mash potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, all of which was covered in a layer of gravy. Her stomach took control, and Seras picked up her knife and fork and was about to tuck in when one of the younger nuns standing at the head of the table cleared her throat.

In response, Seras sighed, begrudgingly putting her fork down and clasping her hands together in prayer with the rest of the children. She zoned out through the whole thing, only coming back to reality when the word that gave Seras the green light was uttered.

"Amen."

Scoffing down her food, Seras couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her full mouth. A few of the other children briefly glanced at her but otherwise did not react. They too had also faced the punishment of starvation. It was an unspoken rule among them that they did not tease each other over anything food related. It was a sore spot that resulted into a comradeship, no matter how much some of the children hated each other. If there was one thing that brought them together, it was food.

The beef was dry and the mash potato was lumpy, but Seras didn't care. She was just happy to finally have some proper food in her stomach at last. She had to force herself to stop eating so quickly, knowing that she would be sick if she didn't. And everyone knew what happened if a child threw up. Seras shuddered before banishing the thought.

"Seras, eat properly!" Sour Face barked at her. She was always there hovering near her favourite victim, much to Seras' dismay.

"Yes, miss," Seras spoke with her mouth full before realising her mistake.

Sour Face shot her a warning look before moving onto the boy's table where it looked like a fight was about to break out. Seras couldn't care less. As long as the other children didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother them. Swallowing her final mouth full, Seras couldn't help but pout when her plate was finally empty. She considered licking the remaining gravy off the plate, but she doubted that would end well for her. So she resisted – just about.

While everyone continued eating or got up to converse with friends, Seras swung her legs absentmindedly, her eyes once again drifting back to the gory statue of Jesus. However, it only held her interest for a few moments before she sighed and began looking around the room again in boredom. She couldn't leave until she was dismissed, so all she could do was wait. She watched, slightly envious as some of the other children got along with each other and played. The nuns stood on the side-lines, watching – always watching. It made Seras feel like she was in a fish tank.

As always, the air in the main hall was cold and Seras huddled in on herself slightly, continuing to stare into space. Boys and girls could mingle with each other on this rare occasion, with strict supervision from the sisters. Sour Face was slowly pacing along the width of the back of the hall, her hands clasped behind her back, reminding Seras of the soldiers she used to play with back home.

Her eyes continued along the hall, briefly coming to rest on a girl stood in the corner, almost completely engulfed in shadow. She too was staying away from the rest of the children, and Seras couldn't help but wonder why. She looked to be just shy of her teenage years and was dressed much more immaculately than the rest of the children. Her long black hair reached further down than her waist and she was dressed in a white suit and long coat, and it almost blended into her impossibly pale skin. Her eyes were dark and mostly hidden by her hair as she scanned the room, and it almost looked like they flashed red when the light hit them at the right angle, but Seras knew that had to be ridiculous. The strange girl's eyes briefly met her own, looking completely disinterested before going back to scanning the room, seeming to grow more bored by the second.

Seras wasn't sure if she had ever seen that girl before. Was she new? Children came and went all the time and it was almost hard to keep up with, but there was something about the older girl that fascinated Seras. Maybe it was the fact that she too seemed to be a loner? Or maybe it was because she looked like a princess? She was very pretty and dressed smartly.

The strange girl continued to watch the rest of the room, and Seras soon lost interest, instead turning to impatiently watch the children who were still eating. Could they eat any slower? Seras wanted to be alone in her room. She was sick of all the noise. She was sick of the sisters leering over her. She was bored!

To make matters worse, the boredom once again focused Seras' attention on her still hungry tummy, and she glared down at the food that remained on Katie's plate as if it had offended her. Katie failed to notice and was busy talking to the girl next to her about one of the boys that they liked in school. Unable to stop herself, Seras plucked one of the carrots from Katie's plate, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Hey! That's mine!" Katie squealed, making Seras cringe at the high pitched sound. It reminded her of a pig.

"No, it's mine!" Seras lied, but it was useless. Katie had seen her and they both knew it.

"Give it back!" Katie launched herself at Seras who couldn't duck out of the way in time. The rest of the children began cheering as the fight broke out, but Seras stubbornly held on to the carrot. It almost slipped out of her grip a few times, especially when Katie moved to grip her wrist. Her blonde hair was yanked by Katie's other free hand and Seras yelped, but still refused to let go. The sisters screamed for order but nobody listened.

"Get off me!" Seras grunted as Katie then began choking her and digging her knee into the scare on her stomach.

And with that, Seras was back there. Back in that cupboard. Her throat closing in on itself as she fought for air in the darkness. The walls were closing in on her again, and she began to feel dizzy. Her back was pressed up against hard wood as the bad guys grew closer and closer. They were coming to get her. They were all coming to get her. Seras needed to fight for her survival.

Reaching a hand back up onto the table, Seras fumbled around on the surface as Katie continued to choke her. Her hand finally grabbed hold of something metal before she swiftly brought her hand back down and stabbed it into Katie's shoulder. Katie screamed and immediately let go of her choke-hold on Seras to clutch at her injured shoulder. Seras pulled the object out, watching in satisfaction as blood squirted out along with it. Just like that night, Seras was going to make everybody who hurt her pay. She was not to be messed with! She just wanted to be left alone!

Pulling her arm back again, the young girl launched forward and stabbed Katie in the shoulder again, smiling in satisfaction as the fork once again dug into her skin. The cheering of the crowd had turned into screams and cries of terror and horror, but Seras ignored them. Her mind was solely focused on the girl who was trying to force her back into that cupboard. She wouldn't go back there!

Seras was about to stab the girl a third time when a larger hand wrapped tightly around her wrist and she was pulled up off the ground by one of the nuns. The rest of the children cowered away from her, even when the fork was pried from Seras' deranged grip. Katie fell backwards, almost passing out from fear as she gripped her shoulder, blood now staining her hands. For a brief moment, Seras' eyes once again locked onto the girl who still hadn't moved from the corner of the room. However, instead of a bored expression, the girl was staring back at Seras with a look of bewilderment.

Given no time to gawk back, Seras felt herself being thrown to the ground by the person who had picked her up in the first place. She looked back up just in time to see who other than Sour Face reach for one of the crucifixes on the wall before striking. The hard wood stung as it slapped against Seras' skin over and over again.

"Devil child! Devil child!" Sour Face chanted, unrelenting in her attack.

Seras cried out, especially when the wooden cross hit the bare parts of her skin. The sting lingered as if naked flames were being pressed against her. She lashed out, trying to fight back, but the strikes continued, rendering any movement almost impossible. In the end, Seras could do nothing but give in and lay there limply. The scowl remained on her face, however, her mind going blank as she tried to tune out the pain and the shouting from the sisters.

After what felt like an eternity, the lashings stopped. Seras continued to lay still.

"May God forgive you, child," Sour Face prayed for her.

"God can kiss my arse," Seras whispered before she could stop herself.

The whole room fell silent.

"Blasphemy! BLASPHEMY!" the sisters and some of the other children began shrieking.

Now Seras had really gone and done it.

"I think the devil child needs another night in the cupboard!" Sour Face finally cried out, picking Seras up and holding her as far away from her own body as possible, as if the little girl was tainted.

"No!" Seras screamed. "Please! Not the cupboard! I'll be good! I promise!"

Panic began to rise within her. Why did she have to be so stupid? She should have known that the cupboard would have been used against her again, especially now that Sour Face knew it sparked such an intense fear within her. Anything but the cupboard!

Seras hit and kicked, screamed and punched, scratched and bit, until finally, Sour Face let go in pain and alarm like the child she had been carrying was a rabid animal. Hissing just like one, Seras bolted. If she could make it to the front door, she could run away from this place and live on the streets. Anything had to be better than this hell.

"Stop her!" Sour Face yelled.

Larger arms suddenly wrapped around her before her body was turned around to face her new captor. Seras cringed back in fear, her whole body shuddering as she locked eyes with the one person she definitely did not want to see. Father White grinned at her, his eyes just as hollow and empty as they always were. His very presence was enough to frighten any child into submission. Though some children seemed to be more afraid of him than others. There was something about this man that terrified Seras. It was if he was soulless. His eyes were like two black holes. His salt and pepper hair was never straight or tidy. He always wore some sort of regal looking robe, looking rich while all the children wore hand-me-downs and clothes that barely fit.

He merely chuckled as Seras tried to fight back.

"And just where do you think you're going?" his voice hissed like a snake.

Seras glared at him in response.

"So now you finally decide to lose the use of your tongue?" he mocked.

"Let me go!" Seras demanded, despite her fear.

The priest sighed before turning back towards where a few of the nuns that had run after her were standing. Even they cowered in fear from Father White. He had arrived only a few weeks ago and already he seemed to command the place. Children and staff went missing and all he seemed to do was laugh it off. Of course there was no proper investigation into all of this. No one like interfering with the goings on within the Catholic Church and its institutions. Seras learnt from the very moment she had been dumped in this place that they could get away with anything.

"You let this little girl get the better of you?" he disparaged.

The nuns looked down and away in shame.

Father White turned back to regard the vicious child in his arms.

"Now, what shall we do with a little girl intent on wandering off?" mused Father White, and Seras shuddered once again.

"We were taking her back to the cupboard, Father," only Sour Face dared to reply to him.

Father White seemed to think for a moment. "Very well. Let this be a lesson to you, girl."

Seras actually found herself grateful when she was passed back into Sour Face's arms. Father White continued to stare at her weirdly before he chuckled and marched off back into his study. Everyone in the room visibly relaxed slightly when he was out of sight. Meanwhile, Seras could hear her own heartbeat in her ears as if the organ had somehow made its way inside her head. Her teeth were clamped together and her breathing was shallow. But she was snapped out of her paralysed state when Sour Face once again dropped her and began dragging her towards the cellar.

"NO!" Seras began screaming again.

Sour Face ignored her, simply tightening her grip to prevent Seras from escaping a second time.

"I won't go back in there! You can't make me!"

Seras was forced down the stairs and back into the dark, damp cellar. She once again coughed as the stale air filled her lungs which was all Sour Face needed to catch her off guard and push her back into the cupboard. The little girl was just about to launch herself back out again when the door slammed shut, and the clicking sound of the lock echoed in Seras' mind.

"LET ME OUT!" Seras screamed, beginning to bang her fists against the door.

Despite the noise she was making, she could just about make out the sound of Sour Face walking away and heading back up the stairs. The cellar door slammed shut and Seras was all on her own. Her screaming continued as she tried to break the door down, panting and yelling incoherently as she did so. But it was no use.

Walls closed in as the little blonde girl pushed against them, struggling to fight for breath. Sweat coated her skin along with dirt and blood, further suffocating her. The screams were deafening. The gun shots were frightening. And the laughter… that laughter… It was the laughter of the monsters that had haunted Seras throughout her life. That forced themselves upon her every conscious and unconscious nightmare. That sought her out forever and always. Only the tomb she was encased in provided some sort of protection. It was like she had been sealed alive inside a coffin.

"Mummy!" Seras cried out, tears streaming down her face.

But nobody came.


	2. Partners

_It's a long way to Tipperary_

_It's a long way to go_

_It's a long way to Tipperary_

_To the sweetest girl I know_

_Goodbye Piccadilly_

_Farewell Leicester Square_

_It's a long long way to Tipperary_

_But my heart's right there_

Seras kept softly singing to herself with her eyes closed, pushing the terrifying shadows as far away from her mind as possible. It helped fill her with pleasant memories. No longer trapped, she curled herself into her daddy's arms, singing along with him and his friends as they gulped down their pints of beer. The warmth of the pub made her cheeks all rosy, and the smoke from people's cigarettes made her occasionally cough, but she didn't care.

Her father had been so giddy that he had even let Seras have a sip of his pint. But Seras didn't like it. She had no idea how grown-ups could drink that stuff all the time. Instead, she was content with her orange juice and nibbling on the pork scratchings she had stolen off one of her daddy's friends. No doubt mummy wouldn't be happy about all of this. But hanging around her and the other mums was boring. All they did was chat about boring stuff. At least with daddy and his friends, she could have some fun.

Seras clapped as they all kept singing.

_Paddy wrote a letter_

_To his Irish Molly O'_

_Saying, "Should you not receive it,_

_Write and let me know!_

_If I make mistakes in spelling_

_Molly dear," said he_

_"Remember it's the pen, that's bad_

_Don't lay the blame on me"._

But she could not maintain the memories for long. Eventually they were filled with nothing but screams and gunshots. It forced her eyes to snap back open, seeing nothing in front of her but pitch blackness. Long gone was the warm glow of the pub. She missed going there. She missed the music, the dancing, the singing… her friends. She hadn't been back since everything that had happened. There was no way that the sisters would ever take her back there. She was trapped here forever.

Seras continued to stare straight ahead, her eyes finally beginning to make out the outlines of shapes and shadows. But wait… that couldn't be right. There should have been nothing but a locked door in front of her. Instead, it appeared as though a figure was standing over her, and Seras shrieked, pushing herself backwards in surprise. Her back collided painfully with the wall and her head bounced off the hard surface, causing her to groan in pain.

"What were you singing?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

Seras opened her eyes again in shock, expecting her sudden guest to be Sour Face, but instead, another girl was looking down at her. The young blonde squinted her eyes as best as she could, fighting against the darkness to try and figure out who had decided to pay her a visit. However, her eyes widened once again when she saw it was none other than the girl she had seen in the dining hall. Her red eyes seemed to glow, providing the only other colour in the room. One gloved hand was leaning against the now open door as she stared down at Seras with amused curiosity.

Opening and closing her mouth multiple times, Seras didn't know what to say. How had this girl gotten down here? It had to have been the middle of the night by now and Seras was pretty sure that Sour Face had locked the door. So what gives?

The girl then frowned at her. "I asked you a question; now you must answer."

"Oh… ummm…" Seras cringed back under the girl's intense gaze. "I dunno… I used to sing it with my dad, and he said that his dad used to sing it too."

"It sounds vaguely familiar." The strange girl's red eyes seemed to focus on something far away.

Seras couldn't help but find herself completely transfixed by the girl's eyes. They were such a beautiful and deep shade of red. Seras had never seen someone with red eyes before. They must be really rare. It just further solidified Seras' theory that this girl was a magical princess from a faraway land. But what was somebody like that doing in a place like this?

"You have really pretty eyes," Seras said before she could stop herself.

The girl blinked and looked back down at her. "What?"

"Your eyes," Seras repeated, "they're really pretty."

The girl smirked. "They don't scare you?"

"No? Why would they?"

"They say red is the colour of Satan." The girl lowered her voice and smiled evilly.

"Why? I like red. Red's my favourite colour."

The strange girl's face turned thoughtful. "I can see why they call you devil child," she muttered, and Seras frowned in response.

"I'm not the devil!" she snapped.

"You're right," the other girl laughed out. "You couldn't possibly be."

"And why's that?"

"Because he's standing right in front of you," the girl replied darkly.

Seras gulped and peered around the other girl's torso, seeing nothing but a dark cellar behind her.

"I don't see him," Seras replied, confused.

The strange girl stared down at her blankly which only made Seras even more uncomfortable. This girl sure was strange, and although her presence and behaviour sent a shiver down Seras' spine, she couldn't help but feel drawn to her. She liked her. She was different. She seemed to be a lonely outcast, just like Seras was. All of the other children were scared of them. Though why they were scared of the new girl, Seras had no idea. Admittedly, Seras stabbed people with forks, but she hadn't seen this girl do anything. During everything that had happened in the dining hall, the strange girl had merely stood there, watching as the scene unfolded.

"How did you get down here?" Seras asked, voicing her earlier question.

The girl's smirk returned. "It's a secret."

Seras' eyes widened in wonder. "I can keep a secret!"

"Sssssh," the girl shushed her as she sat down on the ground in front of her, her head tilting to one side as she appeared to be trying to listen for any sound of movement upstairs.

Seras clamped a hand over her mouth to prove to her new friend that she could be quiet.

The girl then turned her attention back to Seras, her red eyes sparkling playfully. "Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

Seras nodded, still keeping her hand over her mouth.

"Do you swear on pain of impalement?"

"What's that?" Seras whispered after removing her hand.

The girl giggled, grinning sadistically. "It's where you take a sharp stick and shove it up their arse until it comes back up through their mouth."

"Whoa." Seras shivered before shaking her head. "I definitely don't want that. I promise I won't tell anyone."

The girl regarded her for a moment before her smirk grew impossibly wide and she leaned in slightly. "Magic," she whispered.

"No way," Seras gasped. "You're having me on!"

"I don't tell lies," the girl boasted proudly.

"Can you show me?" Seras practically begged.

The girl thought for a moment before waving her hand in front of her. A small glass of water appeared in the palm of her hand, seemingly being produced from a puff of black smoke. The girl then held it in front of Seras, who didn't even question it as she quickly grabbed hold of it and gulped it down. She hadn't realised just how painfully dry her throat had become after screaming and crying for hours on end. She licked the remaining droplets from her lips before handing the glass back to her new friend who promptly made it vanish again before Seras' amazed eyes.

"What's your name?" Seras then asked, leaning forward eagerly.

The other girl raised an eyebrow before answering. "Alucard."

"Alucard?" Seras sounded the name out. "I've never heard of that name before. Where are you from?"

"Ah-ah-ah!" The girl wagged a finger in front of her. "It's my turn to ask a question. That's usually how two-way conversations work. You're not the only one who's curious."

Seras huffed but did as she was told.

"What's _your_ name?" Alucard asked.

"Seras," she replied.

Alucard blinked. "And you thought _my_ name was unusual. Seras… Seras… The Roman goddess."

Seras titled her head in confusion.

"Your name," Alucard responded to her silent questioning, "it sounds like Ceres, the Roman goddess of fertility and agriculture."

"Cool," Seras gasped, "I never knew that! Now can I ask where you're from?"

Alucard chuckled. "Go ahead."

"Where're you from?"

"A long long way from here," was her disappointingly vague response. "From a place that no longer exists and is no longer familiar to me."

"Oh." Seras furrowed her eyebrows, not really knowing what to say. But there was something about her words that had struck a chord. It sounded so familiar. So relatable. Perhaps not for the same reasons, but Seras also felt like she came from a place that was long forgotten: a happy family. "Me too."

Alucard narrowed her eyes before clasping her hands together. Her face was now almost completely covered by the shadow of her long dark hair. "How can that possibly be the case?"

"I don't belong anywhere anymore. My home is not my home anymore. My home was destroyed by bad people. Now I'm stuck here and they force me to stay. I lost everything, so there's nothing to go back to, no matter how much I want it." Seras wasn't sure why she was telling Alucard this. They had only just met, and Seras never liked to share her private business with anybody. But the girl, while terrifying, was also comforting. Seras felt a strange connection to the girl that she couldn't explain. She felt like this girl was probably the only person in the entire world who understood how she felt.

"How old are you, Seras?" Alucard appeared to be studying her carefully.

"I'm nine and a half," Seras responded.

"How can you know and understand these things?"

Seras shrank back as she could practically feel Alucard glaring at her. What had she said? Had she upset her? Great, just as Seras thought she was about to finally gain a new friend, she had gone and blown it.

"I-I-I…" was all the young blonde could stutter out in response.

Alucard's expression seemed to relax slightly, turning more neutral. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it. I can see for myself."

"Huh?"

Alucard waved her off. "It doesn't matter."

They both stared at each other for a few moments, both trying to figure the other one out. Seras felt so small and inadequate compared to her. She was tall, beautiful and everything that Seras wished she could be. It really made her wonder why this new girl was showing such an interest in her.

"Why did you come down here?" Seras asked. "You could get yourself into huge trouble."

Alucard rolled her eyes. "They'd never be able to catch me."

"But why?"

"I told you, because I'm magic." Alucard laughed, clutching at her stomach as her hysterics continued.

"No, I meant why did you come down here?"

Alucard stopped laughing and frowned. "Good question."

Seras waited, watching Alucard through the darkness, unsure of what to say.

But finally, Alucard spoke again. "I suppose I was curious."

"Curious?"

Alucard nodded. "You're probably one of the most entertaining humans I have ever come across."

Seras scrunched up her nose, not knowing what the strange girl was talking about, but it almost sounded like an insult. Entertaining? That meant he was laughing at her, right? Maybe Seras had been too quick to get her hopes up about finally making a friend. What if this girl was just like all the others? Laughing at her and bullying her all the time. Was that why she had come down to see her? To make fun of her?

"I would not stoop down to childish bullying," Alucard said, interrupting her thoughts.

Huh? Had she said that out loud?

"You are insignificant and not worth my time," the girl opposite her continued.

"Yet here you are," Seras responded sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest as she sulked.

Alucard's eyes widened for a split second before she burst out laughing again. Seras huffed and waited for the girl to finish her laughing fit. Her laughter didn't sound like normal laughter. There was a crazy edge to it, and it made Seras' body tingle in fear. It wasn't a happy laugh. It creeped her out. But Seras remained seated, determined not to let her fear show. Even though this girl was older and bigger than her, Seras still had a chance at taking her down. After all, grown-ups had a hard time keeping hold of her.

Alucard's laughing immediately came to a halt. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Do what?" Seras asked innocently.

Alucard let out another chuckle. "Try to fight me."

Seras frowned, perplexed. "I… I never said I would…?"

"No." Alucard smirked smugly. "But you were thinking it."

Seras gasped, finally understanding. She clutched her head as she stared at Alucard with wide eyes. "You can read my mind?!"

"Sssssh!"

Seras clamped her hands over her mouth again, her heart racing at the thought of being caught down here like this by one of the sisters. The last thing she needed was another night locked in this cupboard. Now that they had figured out a wonderfully torturous punishment for her, Seras was going to make sure to try and keep her head down from now on. The only reason she wasn't freaking out right now was because she had company. Though Alucard blocked her escape and kept her pinned in place in the cupboard, at least she was no longer alone in the dark.

"So, you're afraid of tight spaces?" Alucard inquired after a few moments of silently listening for any signs of movement upstairs.

Seras nodded, trying to force back tears.

"Why?"

"Because I am," Seras whispered as she uncovered her mouth. She turned away from the girl in front of her, suddenly wishing that she was alone again. She really didn't want to talk about this. The sound of gunshots echoed in her mind once again, and Seras squeezed her eyes tightly shut in the futile hope that she could block it all out. Screams pierced her heart like the bullet had pierced her abdomen, and her hand instinctively placed itself over her scar as worms once again wriggled under her skin there.

"All those things you saw and yet you're scared of a cupboard." Alucard sounded almost disgusted. "Where's the brave girl I saw earlier?"

Seras opened her eyes again to see Alucard watching her intensely. She shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. She didn't know why she was scared. She just… was. Ever since that night she had become scared of tight spaces. It reminded her of that night and she hated being back there. She wanted to escape. To break free not just of this cupboard, but this whole place, and this whole situation. She wanted to be back home with her mummy and daddy.

But they were never coming back…

They were angels in heaven now. Meanwhile Seras was stuck down here on her own. She wanted to be with them. She wanted to feel their arms around her, rocking her and singing softly to her just like they used to do whenever she was sad or scared. Now she had no one. She was all alone.

"Maybe you're not as strong and interesting as I thought you were," Alucard sighed out, sounding like she was talking more to herself than she was to Seras.

This snapped Seras out of her internal sorrow.

"I am strong!" she protested.

Alucard smirked. "Prove it."

Seras growled to herself before forcing herself up onto her feet. She pushed past Alucard and made her way into the cellar, looking around in the darkness, not entirely thinking properly about what she was doing. All she knew is that she didn't want to sit in that cupboard anymore like a scared little girl. She was a big girl now. She had stabbed a man who had a gun and lived. Sour Face couldn't keep her down here. Seras Victoria would not back down. This isn't what a police woman would do. A police woman would escape and fight against the bad guys.

"You want to be a police woman?" Alucard had moved silently to stand behind her. Seras now felt even smaller compared to the much taller girl. She only came up to the other girl's chest. Everything about the other girl was incredibly intimidating. Standing beside each other, it was almost as if they were exact opposites in every way. Alucard was tall, pristine, well kept, had long dark hair and skin devoid of all life and colour. Meanwhile Seras was short, unkempt, had short blonde hair and dirtied skin that was flushed with marks and bruises from various beatings. They looked worlds apart from each other.

Seras nodded. "Just like my daddy!" she proudly proclaimed.

"Interesting."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Seras asked.

Alucard chuckled. "I already am something."

"Huh?" Alucard sure could say some weird things sometimes.

"I am a king."

"Okay, now I know you're pulling my leg," Seras replied, trying to contain her laughter. "How can you be a king when you're a girl? Don't you mean queen?"

Alucard smiled and shook her head. "I can be whatever I want to be."

"But… that's not how things work?" Seras questioned, feeling incredibly confused.

"Says who?" Alucard raised an eyebrow.

Seras thought for a moment. "I don't know?"

"Seras, we have already established that I'm magical, so it shouldn't be so hard for you to use your brain on this one." She sounded like she was growing impatient.

"Sorry," Seras mumbled, still not entirely sure how all of this worked. Alucard was a king? Yet she was a girl? She came from a faraway land? None of this made any sense, but she found herself happy to go along with it. However, there was still one puzzle that she wanted to question. "But if you're a king, then what are you doing here?"

"I'm on a special secret mission," Alucard explained.

Seras gasped in excitement. "Can I help?"

Alucard raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. If you do everything I say."

"I promise!"

"I certainly could use some inside help," Alucard mused.

Seras began bouncing in anticipation. Her first secret mission! All of a sudden her time in this dreadful place seemed a lot more exciting and fun! She just knew that there was something special and amazing about this girl. Maybe she was drawn to her because they were supposed to be partners? Seras could just imagine them fighting bad guys together and saving innocent people. Together they would be unstoppable!

"Okay, little police girl," Alucard began and Seras was practically buzzing from the nickname. "Can you tell me anything about the missing children in this place?"

Seras immediately stopped bouncing and bit her lip as she tried to remember anything. "I'm not sure?" she finally responded. "I didn't know any of them."

"You don't have to have known them, just tell me everything that you do know about what's been happening."

"Hmmm," Seras kept thinking. "They're never seen again. We all don't like to talk about it, but we're all scared that we're going to be next. Some say it's a kidnapper, others say it's monsters and some say that the kids were just moved to other homes or adopted. That last one is what the grown-ups keep telling us anyway."

"And what do you think, Seras?" Alucard inquired.

She shrugged in response. "I try not to think about it. It's almost as creepy as that new priest."

"What?"

"I said it's creepy," Seras repeated.

"No, what was that about a new priest?" Alucard urged, grabbing Seras by the shoulders in an attempt to make the younger girl focus.

"Father White? Nobody likes him. He's mean."

Alucard frowned in thought before smirking. "I should like to meet this Father White."

"Why?" Seras questioned.

"Let's just say he now has the right to remain silent," Alucard tittered before dashing up the stairs, and Seras gasped in fright when she appeared to walk right through the door like a ghost. Oh yeah, Alucard was magical. But that knowledge still didn't stop the strange things the girl did from startling her.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Seras cried out, running up the stairs to follow. This was her mission too!

The blonde girl pulled on the door and frowned when it wouldn't open. It was locked? But how? Alucard had managed to get in and out. She pressed her shoulder against the old wood in a feeble attempt to replicate Alucard's magic trick. But nothing happened. This wasn't fair! Seras wanted to help too! Alucard had promised!

She slammed her shoulder against the door again before yelping as it suddenly gave way, sending her tumbling down to the dirty tiled floor. She groaned as she pulled her head up to look around, her blue eyes meeting the amused red ones of her new friend. Seras huffed as she pushed herself up off the ground and dusted herself off, her cheeks turning red as she refused to look back at Alucard who clearly found her hilarious.

"Don't dawdle, Police Girl," Alucard then said before dashing off again.

Seras blew a stray blonde hair away from her face as she followed the direction Alucard had disappeared in, ready to question their new suspect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and bookmarks so far! I hope that you enjoyed the latest installment and I'll see you all again soon! Stay safe out there.


	3. World of Monsters

Floorboards creaked under tiny feet, and blue eyes could barely adjust to the darkness of the hallways. This building had always given Seras the creeps, ever since she had first arrived here. It was like all of the life had been sucked out of it. Most of the floor was made from faded wood that creaked so much that Seras was often scared of her foot falling through the floor. The walls were plastered and merely painted over with a gross yellow colour, probably in an effort to make things more cheerful, but it just reminded the young girl of sick. It was chipped in a lot of places, and was often blank apart from the odd poster of biblical scripture or crucifix.

She knew these hallways like the back of her hand at this point. And it was a good job that she did, because right now, her memory was all she was relying on to guide her way through towards Father White's office. The hallways were eerily silent, with most of the children and staff in bed. The only sound was occasional creak of the floorboards as Seras tried to find her new friend.

The other girl seemed to have completely disappeared, but Seras guessed that she had gone on ahead to the office. Though how Alucard knew where it was, Seras wasn't sure. Her side still hurt slightly from slamming herself into the door, and she knew she would likely wake up with bruises in the morning. Maybe all of this was just a dream? That thought occurred to the little girl when she soon began questioning what she was doing.

She had escaped from her prison and was now following a strange girl she had just met into the night. This was very unlike Seras, and she knew it. But she just couldn't help herself. Maybe it was the mystery that drew her in. This was technically her first detective work. Would her dad be proud of her right now for facing her fears and investigating? She hoped so.

With that new-found resolve, Seras pressed on, finally turning a corner where another corridor led towards a single wooden door that was closed tightly. Seras could just about make out its outline, but as soon as she saw it, she froze. Father White could be in there. Again, what was she thinking? She was going to get into so much trouble for this, and Father White especially terrified her. It was like her blood turned to ice whenever he was near. Could he really have something to do with all the disappearances?

"Is that it?" a hushed voice startled her.

Seras quickly clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming in surprise. Her eyes shifted to the left to see that Alucard was suddenly standing next to her. Where had she come from?

Not trusting her own voice, Seras nodded.

A wide and sinister grin spread across the tallest girl's face, sending a shiver down Seras' spine. It was like the smiles she saw on the front of those horror movies that the other children sometimes sneaked in to the orphanage from their other friends on the outside. The smile almost reached all the way to her ears, practically splitting her face in half. Alucard's red eyes glowed before she slowly stepped forward towards the door.

Gulping, the young blonde girl followed, now wrapping her arms around herself as her heart began to pump faster and faster. Her eyes widened again as she fully witnessed Alucard seemingly walking right through the door as if it wasn't there. This caused her to freeze in place again. She knew that her new friend was magical, but a part of her had perhaps convinced herself that she had imagined Alucard phasing through the door earlier. Now there was definitely no denying it.

A feeling of excitement bubbled up inside her as she tried to open the door for herself, but sighed in annoyance when she realised that it was locked. She pressed her ear against the wood, only to hear nothing but silence from the other end. She was about to peak through the keyhole when the door suddenly opened to reveal Alucard standing there looking disgruntled.

"He's not here," she growled out.

"Huh?"

"Father White; he isn't here."

"Maybe he's in another room?" Seras asked, taking an automatic step back from the girl in front of her.

"No. I've scanned the whole building."

"Well… he's normally here…" Seras trailed off. Why did it feel like Alucard was blaming her for this?

Alucard huffed before twisting back around to re-enter the room. Seras paused for a moment before finally daring herself to follow. Alucard was right. The office was completely empty, but all of his belongings still seemed to be in place. Moonlight illuminated the room, allowing the young blonde to finally see better for the first time. Alucard ran a finger along the desk as she walked beside it before flicking through a few papers, only to slam them back down on the desk as if they had personally offended her. Her red eyes menacingly glanced back at Seras, who squeaked and cowered away.

However, Seras quickly put on a brave face and puffed out her chest to stand her ground. "He must have escaped. Maybe he knows that we're onto him?"

Alucard blinked, her anger forgotten before she smirked and stared up at the full moon. "Perhaps."

"Do you really think he has something to do with the disappearances?" Seras asked, relaxing slightly at Alucard's sudden mood improvement.

"There is no doubt in my mind now. His stench should have been proof enough, but it's hard for me to concentrate with all of these holy relics around." Alucard poked one of the crosses hanging on the wall.

"What do you mean?"

"Blessed objects can hinder my powers slightly, and this place is full of them." Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Seras' eyes widened. "You mean… like a demon?"

Alucard turned to smirk at her. "Yes, Police Girl, like a demon."

"But you're not a demon." Seras frowned.

"Oh?" Alucard cocked an eyebrow as she threw herself down into the desk chair before propping her feet up against the desk, watching Seras with both amusement and curiosity. "And what makes you say that, little human?"

Seras stiffened. "Well… you helped me. Demons don't help people."

"Au contraire, Police Girl," Alucard chuckled, "demons may help humans when there is something in it for them."

"Well I don't know what a demon would want with me," Seras sighed out. "I don't have anything."

Alucard shook her head while grinning, relaxing further back into the chair.

Seras then looked around the room, desperately trying to think of something useful. Now that Father White wasn't here, was her new friend going to just abandon her? Was she just using her? For some reason, Seras didn't want this girl to just leave her. She wanted her to stay around and be her friend. She thought back to the creepy things that Alucard had said: demons only helped humans when there was something in it for them. That sentence bothered her a great deal. But that was stupid because Alucard wasn't a demon. Demons only lived in hell.

Quickly thinking of something to say, Seras spoke again, "should we try and look for clues?" Seras approached the desk as she said this, trying her hardest to impress the other girl.

Alucard sighed, sounding fed up.

"I'm sure he'll be back very soon though. We can interrogate him then," Seras added, feeling her heart sink the longer Alucard remained silent.

"If he knows I'm onto him, I doubt he'll be back," Alucard replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Then what do we do?"

Alucard turned to glare at her. " _You_ do nothing."

The door to the office suddenly opened again, and Seras whipped around, gasping as her eyes locked with one of the nun's. The sister's green eyes widened before she frowned in disapproval. Luckily, it was one of the nicer nuns, so Seras didn't feel too worried about being caught by her. But still, she was likely to be punished again over this.

"Seras Victoria, what on earth are you doing in here? You know you're not allowed in here without permission," the nun hissed as she stepped further into the room before reaching out to grab Seras by her wrist. "How did you even get out of the cellar?"

Seras turned to look back at Alucard, who remained seated, seemingly not paying attention to the situation. She was frowning at the night outside the window, and Seras got the sense that she was tempted to leave. Her heart sunk in her chest at the thought. This was all her fault. She was the worst investigator ever and now Alucard likely hated her and she was going to be left alone again.

The nun followed the young girl's gaze before her eyes flickered back, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Seras, are you even paying attention?" the nun demanded.

Seras finally turned back around. "Yes? What? No! Don't take me back down there! Please Sister Grace! I'll be good! I promise!"

Sister Grace sighed. "I suppose you have been punished enough for one day. Now let's get you to bed before I change my mind."

Seras let out a sigh of relief before frowning when Sister Grace began pulling her out of the office. Her blue eyes glanced back at Alucard again before looking up at the nun.

"What about Alucard?"

The nun looked down at her, not pausing as she dragged the girl down the corridor. "Who?"

"Alucard? The new girl?" Uh oh, maybe she shouldn't have said anything. She didn't want to get her new friend into trouble as well, and Seras was certainly no grass. But surely Sister Grace must have spotted her. She looked right at her after all, so why wasn't she dragging Alucard out of the office too?

"Seras, I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about. There's no one new here," she brushed the young child off.

Seras wanted to argue, but the words became stuck in her throat. A lump of confusion seemed to have formed there, blocking any coherent thought from reaching her mouth. Sister Grace had to be mistaken. Maybe Alucard kept to herself so well that she hadn't been noticed? But still, the nuns always watched new children like a hawk, worried about any potential corrupting behaviour. They always made sure to show any new children who was boss.

Before the little girl could ponder the weird situation more, she was dropped off outside her small bedroom and ordered inside before Sister Grace took off walking back down the corridor. Seras sighed before opening the door and heading inside, wondering where Alucard could have possibly got to. Had she left? Was she still down there in the office? Some undercover officer Seras was if she got caught within the first few minutes of her investigation.

Sulking to herself, the young blonde changed into her pyjamas before climbing onto her lumpy mattress situated on top of a plain metal bed frame. She pulled the covers over herself before curling into a tight ball and staring at the Lord's prayer that decorated one of the only posters that she had been allowed to hang on her wall. Seras hadn't really understood it when she picked it, she just liked the pretty flowers that decorated the sides.

_Our Father who art in heaven_

_Hallowed be thy name_

_Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,_

_On earth as it is in heaven._

Seras closed her eyes as she fought back the burning sensation of tears. She had suddenly become painfully aware of the cross shaped bruises that were now forming on her skin. If God was her father, then did that mean that he would look after her? Seras knew it was blasphemy to think this, but it really didn't feel like he was doing a good job. Had he abandoned her? Had she been too naughty? Why had he taken her parents away from her? Were they in heaven right now? Were they happy?

A small little whimper escaped her as she thought about how much she wanted to join them. But she had committed blasphemy earlier, so did that mean she was going to go to hell? Did God not like her? Is that why all of these bad things happened to her? Seras often had these thoughts as she laid awake at night, unable to sleep because of the sound of gunshots in her mind.

Still lying down, Seras clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "God, I know that I've done a lot of bad things, and I'm really sorry. I promise that I will try to be good from now on. Just… please can you take the pain away? Please can you help me? I want my mummy and daddy back…"

"You won't receive any help doing that, Police Girl."

Seras gasped and sat bolt upright in bed, her heart leaping into her throat as her eyes locked with red ones that hovered above her. A dark figure came into view, and Seras became even more startled when she realised that it was Alucard. What? How? She hadn't even heard her come in? Oh yeah, duh, she was a magical king.

"Wh-what?" Seras blinked, dumbstruck.

"God doesn't answer prayers," Alucard sneered as she traced a pattern on Seras' covers, frowning as she appeared lost in thought. "You have to fight for his attention, and even then he seldom grants it."

"Why?"

Alucard shrugged. "To test faith? To test our souls? Our willpower? Or perhaps maybe he has abandoned his children? It matters not, though. Prayer does not yield results. Only actions do."

Seras frowned in confusion. "But… the sisters tell us it's important that we speak to God, so that we can show that we love him…"

"Is that so?" Alucard grinned and shook her head. "You almost remind me of myself when I was younger," she added that last part more quietly.

"Are you not a Catholic?" Maybe that might explain the dark girl's different logic. Maybe she was a Protestant.

Alucard chuckled. "I was once Orthodox, but I had forsaken God a long time ago."

Seras gasped. "Why?"

"So many questions," Alucard rolled her eyes as she moved to sit on the bed next to Seras' feet. The little blonde unconsciously scooted closer, fascinated by the whole conversation. She wanted to know more about this strange girl who often spoke in strange riddles. She was so different and fascinating. She seemed wise beyond her years, and Seras could already feel herself looking up to the older girl. She felt almost star-struck in her presence and could listen to her voice for hours on end.

"But back onto the case at hand," Alucard quickly changed the subject, and Seras sat in anticipation. "It appears that you have led me on a wild goose chase, and for that, I am most displeased."

Seras blinked. "But… I didn't know that he was going to be leaving…"

Alucard frowned. "You kept me distracted while I was supposed to be concentrating on my mission."

"What?!" Seras practically shrieked. Why was she being so mean? "I didn't ask you to come and help me; you just appeared out of nowhere! And also, a 'thank you' would be nice since I'm the one who told you about Father White anyway!"

There were a few moments of tense silence before Alucard laughed and clapped her hands twice. "You stand up for yourself. I like that."

Seras' frown deepened. She didn't like being laughed at.

"And perhaps you're right. You did lead me right to him – although he wasn't there."

"What are we going to do?" Seras repeated her question from earlier. "What is he doing to those other kids?"

"Again with the 'we'." The taller girl sniggered.

"We're partners, right?" Seras asked slowly, her stomach now feeling like it was made of lead as she waited for the other girl's answer.

Alucard frowned. "Seras, I shouldn't even be talking to you right now."

"Then why are you?" Seras then lowered her voice to whisper, "I thought that you were my friend."

"You thought wrong, Police Girl." Alucard's voice turned into a warning growl. "I was merely shocked that you were able to see me, so I had to come and investigate. Imagine my disappointment when it turned out that you were indeed nothing more than a human."

Seras huffed. "You don't make any sense."

"Oh, but I do," the dark haired girl replied. "You are just merely ignorant of the world. Of course you are. You are a human child who could not possibly comprehend such things. I thank you for the information you shared with me, though I would have gotten to it one way or another."

Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult? Either way, it boiled Seras' temper.

"You're so mean!" she cried out. "Go away and leave me alone!"

Alucard growled in annoyance. "That I cannot do right now. You've seen and heard too much, and my master orders that I stay put in this place until the threat has been neutralised. You will likely be of use to me when the piece of shit finally decides to return."

"Hey! You said a naughty word!" Seras gasped, feeling worried yet excited at the same time.

"What? And telling God to kiss your arse isn't naughty?" Alucard's smirk finally returned.

Seras blushed and looked away back to the prayer that hung on her wall.

_Give us this day our daily bread_

_And forgive us our trespasses_

_As we forgive those who trespass against us_

"I'm sorry," Seras finally sighed out. "I ruined the mission and I keep messing things up and getting into trouble." The prayer had said that God would forgive her, but would he? She had done so many bad things. She hurt people and ruined things. She had stabbed someone with a fork just hours earlier. How was she possibly someone who was worthy of forgiveness?

Alucard wrinkled her nose. "You think too much."

"Huh?"

"And your thoughts are so loud. Why do you have to shout so much?"

"Ummm… sorry?" was all Seras could think of to say.

Alucard shook her head, a genuine smile almost seemed to be creeping up on her face. "You're a strange and interesting creature – for a human anyway – I'll give you that much."

"Thank you?"

Alucard chuckled.

"I think you're really interesting too," Seras returned the bizarre compliment.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. You look funny, you talk funny, and you're magical!" Seras threw her arms out in excitement. "Will you be my friend? Please please please please please!"

The older girl looked annoyed as she rolled her eyes and looked away again.

"Please!" Seras begged again.

"Don't be so pathetic," Alucard growled out. "I don't have _friends_ ; such trivial relationships are beneath me."

Seras sighed in defeat before lowering her head as her eyes watered.

"But…"

The blonde girl looked up again.

"Like I said before, I do need to keep an eye on you, so I will be sticking around," Alucard explained, looking less than pleased with the idea.

Seras tried to hide her excitement, not wanting to come across as pathetic again. Having someone stick around was good enough for her. Everybody left her at some point, but the promise of having this girl stay by her side, even if her feelings of friendship were not returned, was enough to help the young blonde girl feel content. She had never had anybody stick around her before. Even before coming to live here, she had never had many friends. The friends that she had quickly ditched her after her parents had been murdered, complaining that Seras was now weird and scary. Other children tended to avoid her like the plague due to her violent outbursts, but they were the ones who provoked her in the first place.

"And can I keep helping you on the case?" Seras asked, clasping her hands together.

Alucard sighed, crossing one leg over the other. "Do you even want to stop and think about what you're getting yourself into?"

"What do you mean?"

"You want to work with me, yet you do not even know what my mission is. You do not know what sort of creatures and enemies you are dealing with," she replied, beginning to sound amused again. What was with this girl and her mood swings?

"Creatures?" Seras gasped. "You mean like… monsters?"

Alucard grinned creepily and nodded.

"What kind of monsters?"

The taller dark haired girl leaned forward slightly, red eyes locking onto blue ones. "Monsters that walk the night. That feed upon the blood and flesh of humans. Monsters that could easily snap your little body in half as they bite into your neck and consume all of your blood until there is nothing left, enslaving you for all eternity."

Seras shuddered as Alucard reached forward as she spoke, running one of her nails along the younger girl's neck.

"Vampires?" Seras gulped.

"And you still want to help me on my mission?" Alucard's eyes sparkled mischievously.

Seras didn't even need to think twice. "Of course!"

Alucard leaned backwards, probably not expecting that answer from the blonde girl.

"This is all so cool!" Seras exclaimed. "If a vampire ever tried to mess with me, I'd stab them right in the heart!" She turned to grin at Alucard who almost looked impressed.

"You're a tenacious one, aren't you? Maybe sticking around for a bit might not be so bad. It might even be interesting." She closed her eyes as she smirked.

Seras did a mental fist pump. If she could continue to impress Alucard then maybe she would finally see her as a friend. Right now, that's all Seras felt like she could focus on. She wanted this girl's attention and approval more than anything. Alucard was easily one of the most fascinating people she had ever met, and she wanted them to be friends forever!

She jumped on her bed excitedly as she mimed stabbing motions with her hand. She would destroy the evil creatures of the night and protect the innocent from being hunted and slaughtered aimlessly. Both she and Alucard would be an unstoppable team. All of the vampires out there better watch out!

"This is going to be so much fun!" Seras cried out.

"Police Girl –"

"We're going to stake them right through the heart!"

"Human –!"

"Every vampire in the world will fear us and we'll be unstoppable!"

"Seras!"

Seras stopped jumping and turned around just in time to register Alucard placing a finger on her forehead, capturing Seras' gaze with her own. Her red eyes seemed to glow, and Seras found herself unable to look away or even blink. Those red pools seemed to dive down for an eternity, and the young girl almost began to feel like she was drowning in them. Her heart slowed down in her chest, and her own blue eyes became slightly hooded.

"Enough," Alucard whispered soothingly, her eyes still glowing. "You are giving me a headache. Now sleep."

Without Seras' permission, her heavy eyelids shut themselves and she fell limply against the girl next to her.

_Lead us not into temptation_

_But deliver us from evil_

_For thine is the kingdom, the power_

_And the glory, for ever and ever_

_Amen._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you guys so much for your comments and for leaving kudos! I really appreciate it! I hope that you're all staying safe and I'll hopefully have the next chapter up very soon. Take care!


	4. Fun and Games

Seras sighed to herself as she pressed her face against the bars of the school gate. Had yesterday just been a dream? She had awoken to find herself alone in her room with Alucard nowhere in sight. She had waited and waited and waited, but the girl seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Just when Seras had felt like she had finally got somewhere with the dark haired girl. Maybe she had finally lost her mind. It wouldn't surprise her.

The bright sun glared down at her, causing the little girl to squint her blue eyes as the light reflected off the passing cars on the main road. She watched them all zoom by, wondering about the lives the occupants lived. Were they happy? She wished that she could just hop into one of those cars and allow the driver to take her wherever they wanted. But of course that was a bad idea. The nuns and her teachers always warned her to never go off with strangers.

She pulled herself away from the gate as she rubbed the still throbbing bruises on her arms, her red jumper adorned with the school logo hiding them from view despite the heat of the sun. Her red uniformed dress hung to her knees, the hem slightly torn from the fight she had gotten into a few minutes before. Just above her shin length white socks, a graze coated her knee that still oozed a small amount of blood. But Seras did her best to ignore the sting. If she went to the nurse's office, the nurse would want to know what had happened, and the last thing Seras wanted to do was grass. Then she would get it ten times worse than she already did.

Instead, all Seras could do was try and ignore the pain. The other girls were now far away from her on the other side of the playground, finally leaving her alone. But no doubt they would continue where they left off back in class. P.E was next, meaning the teacher would be too distracted to notice. Not that they did anything if they did notice anyway. It was at that moment that Seras realised that she had forgotten her kit. Great. That would be another detention. But she had been so distracted by thoughts of Alucard and her disappearance that morning.

_Thump._

The next thing Seras knew, she was on the ground, her grazed knee stinging even more as loose stones embedded themselves into her skin. Her head throbbed from the impact, and it took her a few seconds to come out of her daze before she finally looked up to see a boy from her class picking up the football that had landed next to her. The boy merely smirked at her, not apologising as he took off again to play with his friends who were laughing at the incident.

That's it. Seras needed to get out of there.

It had been a while since she had played truant since Sour Face had beaten her pretty badly the last time she had done it, but Seras couldn't see herself sticking it out in this hellhole for the rest of the day. Would anyone even notice if she was missing anyway? She highly doubted it.

Seras quickly looked around to see if anyone was paying attention before she grabbed hold of the top of the black gate and hopped over, her feet landing on the old cobbled stone on the other side. Then, without looking back, she took off as far away from the old Victorian style building as quickly as possible. Immediately, freedom coursed through her, and she kept on running. A smile tugged on the corners of her lips as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her recently healed scar on her stomach protested slightly, but she didn't care.

Approaching a housing estate, Seras revelled in the quiet atmosphere. Most people were either at work or in school. There was no one to bug her or stop her. Laughing, she pointed her fingers into the shape of two guns, shooting them at the two imaginary bad guys in front of her.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Seras called out, picking up her pace again, running into an empty park and making gunshot sounds.

This was the most carefree Seras had ever felt in a long time. She giggled as she launched herself onto the climbing frame, her hands gripping the rusted metal of the monkey bars, using them to swing herself onto the nearest platform. She immediately ducked behind the wall, crouching into a defensive position as she pretended to re-load her gun. This was just like the game she and her dad liked to play whenever he had taken her to the park. Cops and robbers had always been her favourite game and her dad had taught her so many cool little tricks.

The bad guys approached, and Seras glared straight forward with a fierce determination. She darted out of her hiding place, explosions and gunfire surrounding her as she heroically faced her foes. The bad guys continued to shoot at her, and Seras threw herself down the slide to duck out of their way. She cartwheeled her way to the roundabout before pushing it as fast as she could, jumping on board. The world around her blurred, her blonde hair whipping around her face as she got caught up in the high speed chase. She clung on for dear life, panting slightly as the bad guys continued to gain on her.

"It's time to give up, Officer Victoria!" one of the yelled to her.

"Oh yeah? That's what you think!" Seras grabbed hold of a grenade she always kept with her for moments such as this. She pulled out the pin with her teeth and tossed it towards the bad guys. It blew up as soon as it bounced itself off the ground in front of them, blowing them both to smithereens.

Seras gasped and flung herself off the roundabout, rolling against the tarmac as she pretended to be caught in the aftermath of the explosion. She giggled to herself as she brought herself to a stop, staring up at the sky. It was an infinite blue, but the heat of the afternoon had now slowly begun to fade away as the sun moved more towards the horizon. School would probably be finishing any time now, and she wondered how long it would take for the nuns – Sour Face especially – to notice that she hadn't returned home. She should probably start heading back to avoid any more trouble, but Seras just couldn't bring herself to move.

She wanted to stay here forever. She could live right here in this park. She could hunt and forage for her own food and sleep in the tunnel. She could be the park's very own police officer. She would stand guard over all of the other children and make sure than no grown-ups could ever hurt them. No grown-ups could be allowed inside in general! Seras didn't venture anywhere near the small playground that they had at the back of the orphanage after what she had seen last time. She didn't want the priests touching her like that like they did to some of the other children. No way.

Growing slightly bored just lying there, Seras sat up as she thought of something else that she could play. It was getting dark, and the lights of the houses from the estate were starting to glow in the distance. The sky was turning a brilliant orange, and the little girl sighed to herself as her stomach rumbled. An apple tree caught her attention, so Seras pushed herself back up and began heading towards it. It wasn't exactly the warm meal she was craving, but it would do.

Coming to a stop just beside the tree, Seras glanced up thoughtfully, wondering just how on earth she was going to get up there. The branches were pretty high, much higher than what they had looked from afar. Her first attempt involved jumping, but the fruit was still just out of reach. Scowling, Seras moved closer towards the trunk of the tree, trying to plan her route up. There were a few bulges within the trunk itself, and it looked like she could use them as a boost up.

Biting her lip in concentration, the small blonde began her climb and smiled as her latest plan appeared to be working. Some flakes of bark were knocked off as she climbed, but everything else remained perfectly steady. She finally reached the first branch, wobbling slightly as she hoisted herself up onto it before regaining her balance again. Seras was fairly sure that this branch could support her weight. Stomach once again growling impatiently, she crawled her over towards the thinner branches that dangled the tantalizing fruit in the air just in front of her. Her mouth was watering in anticipation. This alone was probably going to be much better than the dry meat and potato dishes she was used to at the orphanage.

Reaching the end of the thicker branch, Seras reached forward, the tips of her fingers just barely brushing the green apple before it was suddenly swiped away from her by a pale blur. Seras gasped and fell forward in shock. Losing her balance, time seemed to go in slow motion as the grassy ground grew closer and closer to her face. Her stomach lurched into her throat as she fell, and Seras squeezed her eyes tightly shut, her whole body stiffening as she prepared for impact.

But nothing happened.

Slowly opening one eye, her vision was filled with nothing but a crisp, clean white jacket. Opening her other eye, Seras looked up to see red eyes staring down at her with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. That familiar grin spread across her pale features just like she had remembered from last night. Her long dark hair formed a curtain around them, blocking out the last few stubborn rays of light from the setting sun.

"Alucard?" Seras gasped out slowly in shock. Her eyes travelled from her face to realise that the other girl was holding her with only one arm, cradling her against her while her other hand smugly held the apple that she had been previously trying to reach for.

"Police girl," she responded casually before her eyes began inspecting the apple. "What were you doing?"

Seras finally shook her head to snap herself out of her dazed state and glared up at her new friend. She shook herself out of Alucard's grasp, landing clumsily on the grass, staining her clothes green, but she didn't care.

"Where did you go? I was beginning to think I had imagined the whole thing!" The cross Seras folded her arms across her chest before she stood up with a huff and tried to snatch the apple out of Alucard's hand.

"Even vampires need sleep, Police Girl," Alucard chuckled, holding the apple just out of her reach. "Plus I had to leave to inform my master of the issues that have arisen in my mission."

"Issues? Master?" Seras was barely paying attention as she continued to try and jump up to reach her snack.

Alucard sighed in annoyance. "The fact that the worthless trash managed to sneak out without my notice and that I am now unable to track him down since my master believes he will return very soon."

Seras froze at this news and gulped. She hated Father White. And she hated him even more now that she knew he was a dangerous baddie that Alucard was after. Fear engulfing her, Seras gave up playing Alucard's teasing games and instead sat back down on the grass in defeat. She tugged at the hem of her dress nervously, desiring now more than ever to never go back to the orphanage. It was now starting to sound like she would simply be safer living on the streets. But could Seras really pull it off and manage to dodge all of the social workers for the next few years of her life? Seras couldn't wait until she turned sixteen. Then she would be free. Free to lead her own life and get as far away from everyone who hurt her as possible.

However, Seras soon jolted in surprise when the apple was dropped into her lap, and she quickly snatched it up without question.

"You're no fun," Alucard sighed out as Seras took a huge bite. They weren't quite ripe yet, but they would do. It would hopefully satisfy both her hunger and her thirst. "What did you do? Get yourself locked in the cupboard again? I thought humans were supposed to eat regularly?"

Seras shook her head as she finished the apple right down to its core. She sighed as she began absent-mindedly twisting the stem until it snapped in her grasp. "No, but no doubt I will be when I get back. Who's this master? Is he your boss?" she added at the end, trying to change the subject.

"Ah-ah, Police Girl," taunted Alucard, "you can't just end on that note and try to change the subject."

Seras refused to look up, her eyes tracing the blades of grass in front of her before she muttered miserably, "Why do you care? You said you don't have friends."

"I see that we've reverted back to pathetic mode," Alucard noted with a growl.

"I'm not pathetic!"

"Then why should personal relationships matter to you?" the dark haired girl retorted, now looking beyond annoyed.

"Because I'm sick of being on my own! I hate it! I've always been alone! I want a friend too, just like everybody else!" Seras snapped, standing bolt upright again.

Alucard was silent for a few moments before the annoyed expression on her face relaxed slightly, though an intimidating scowl still remained on her face. However, the rest of her body remained casual with one hand lounging in a jacket pocket, the other hung loosely to her side while she rested most of her weight onto her right hip. Meanwhile, Seras glared daggers back at her. Her posture was completely straight with her hands balled up into fists at her side.

"You waste your time becoming upset about such things," Alucard finally replied. "I realised a long time ago that the only person I can rely on is myself. Friendships and relationships – especially those formed through a desire to no longer remain alone – lead to anguish and betrayal." At this comment, Alucard stared down at the strange marks on the back of her gloved hands. "You become weak and easily manipulated."

Seras frowned, loosening her tense muscles slightly. What was the point in even arguing about this? Seras had been longing to see Alucard again all day and now here she was, wasting their time together with stupid arguments. She wished that Alucard wasn't this way, but she supposed that she would have to live with it. Maybe in time, Alucard would come to trust her and become her friend. She would never betray Alucard and she would never want to hurt her. She would fight whoever tried to do so.

Alucard smirked at her.

"What?" Seras asked self-consciously.

Alucard shook her head. "Your foolishness never ceases to amuse me."

"Hey!" Seras snapped but was unable to think of a clever comeback.

The dark haired girl raised an eyebrow in amusement. "As I said: foolish."

Muttering to herself, Seras stormed her way back towards the playground, settling herself down onto one of the swings, gently rocking herself forwards and backwards. Stars were beginning to glimmer in the sky with only a few thin wisps of cloud to cover their splendour. An owl hooted in the distance, but Seras remained unintimidated by it all. A fact that did not go unnoticed by her companion.

"You know most little girls are afraid of the dark." She chuckled as she sat down on the swing next to her.

Seras sighed. "I'm not like most little girls. Anyway, you're one to talk!"

Alucard laughed loudly at that remark before grinning at her. "I'm the monster, remember? I'm the one who causes people like you to be afraid of the dark. They're wise to be afraid. You, however, are foolish."

Seras rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn't respond. She had met her fair share of monsters over the years; all of them had been human. Alucard, while indeed scary, had not laid a finger on her or harmed her in any way. But the nuns who were supposed to look after her did. Despite her young age, Seras was already beginning to learn that the world wasn't black and white. At her school, there was a girl in her class who had two dads. The nuns claimed that they were evil monsters, but when Seras had spoken to them once at the summer fair last year, they had been really nice to her and didn't seem like evil monsters at all. They had bought her a very tasty cupcake after they had watched her eye them for the past half an hour. She really wished that two dads would come along to foster her. Anything was better than living in that awful place.

"Why are you out here, anyway?" Alucard asked, bringing Seras out of her thoughts. "I waited for you near the orphanage, but you didn't show up. You're a pretty tough one to track down unless you're nearby. Then your loud brain gives you away."

Seras shrugged, slowing her swinging down slightly. "I just really didn't want to go back there. I got into a fight at school again so I ended up skiving the rest of the day."

"Is not going back wise considering that we have a mission to complete?"

Seras head snapped around to look at Alucard in shock. "You still want my help?"

Alucard smirked. "Of course, my little Police Girl. I need your inside knowledge after all."

The young blonde smiled, launching herself off the swing in excitement before cringing as her knee once again began to sting and bleed. Alucard got up as well, walking up to her with a confused expression on her face before her eyes took in the graze that covered Seras' knee.

"You're hurt." It was more of a statement than a question.

Seras laughed awkwardly. "It's nothing."

"Come here," Alucard commanded.

"Why, what are you gonna do?" Seras backed away nervously.

Alucard rolled her eyes. "Just come here. I won't bite you." She chuckled after that last part.

Eyes narrowing suspiciously, Seras stepped forward before Alucard bent down so that her face was in front of Seras' knee, inspecting the wound. Before Seras could react, Alucard had licked her finger and rubbed it across the graze, causing a sharp stab of pain to shoot up her leg, and Seras stumbled away in slight disgust.

"Ew! Why did you do that?!"

Alucard merely stood back up casually before inspecting the blood that now dripped down her pale finger. Her tongue reached out to lick the red liquid, and all Seras could do was watch in horror and confusion. Once her finger was clean, Alucard pulled a disgruntled expression.

"The blood of a child – not the most exquisite of tastes," Alucard mumbled, mainly to herself. "Like unripe fruit." She shuddered slightly in disgust.

"W-why did you…?"

Alucard sighed in annoyance again. "Look at your knee, Police Girl."

Seras frowned but did as she was told, glancing back down at her injured knee before her blue eyes widened in shock. As if by magic, her graze had stopped bleeding and now appeared to have already scabbed over. The wound looked days old rather than mere hours. Seras blinked, twisting her leg to different angles, unsure as to whether or not this was some sort of trick of the light. But the results remained the same. Her knee was looking much better than what it did a few minutes ago.

"H-how?" was all Seras could gasp out.

Alucard grinned again. "I told you, I'm magic."

Seras stared up at her, completely awe-struck. "Th-thank you."

"You're welcome." Alucard appeared to smile a genuine smile for once.

Seras continued flexing her knee, enjoying no longer having the deep stinging sensation that came with moving her leg. Her woollen socks no longer became painfully stuck to the more exposed flesh of the wound, and it made her wonder just what else Alucard could do. She had seen her walk through walls and heal her, but no doubt the older girl had some more tricks up her sleeve. Seras felt like a character from a storybook. Feelings of giddiness and adventure bubbled up inside her, making her feel slightly lightheaded, but in a good way. A way that made her feel like she was floating through the clouds above, enjoying the peaceful sensation of soaring through the sky.

"What else can you do?" Seras shrieked excitedly.

Alucard's expression turned smug. "Lots of things."

"Like what?"

"Like this." Alucard then completely vanished before her very eyes. Seras blinked and looked around frantically, terrified that maybe her imagination had finally had enough and had snuffed the dark haired girl out of existence.

That was until a voice came from behind her.

"Boo."

Seras shrieked and twisted around to come face-to-face with Alucard once again. Her racing heart calmed down, beating more rapidly in excitement rather than fear. She smiled and clapped her hands together, jumping up and down on the spot at the little show he had put on for her. She wished that she could do tricks like that! All of the revenge she could get on the people who hurt her and bullied her…

"What else can you do?" Seras demanded, her blue eyes sparkling.

Alucard rolled her eyes. "This isn't a circus, Police Girl."

" _Pleeeeeeeaaaasssee!_ " Seras begged, clasping her hands together as she gave Alucard her best puppy-dog eyes. "I just want to see all of the cool stuff that you can do! Then I'll shut up about it, I promise!"

Alucard sighed. "Very well. The prize of you shutting up is too tempting to resist."

Seras giggled before watching as Alucard morphed into a swarm of bats, and she shrieked as they flew towards her, flying around her and occasionally catching her with their wings. Her shrieks turned to laughter as they tickled her, some of them settling down and dangling from her arms as she tried to protect herself from being tickled. The bats then swarmed away from her, congealing into one dark and solid form before it shrunk down, leaving a teenage girl in their place.

"That was amazing!" Seras clapped again.

Alucard smirked before she gave her a small bow, and Seras began to feel even more delighted that she was finally playing along. The blonde girl continued to watch in fascination as the other girl seemed to pull centipedes and other bugs seemingly from nowhere. She cringed back and laughed when one of them had crawled up onto her shoulder, its hundreds of legs prickling against the skin of her neck. She held out her hand for the creature to crawl onto it, and it did so as if it was perfectly trained to do so. However, it soon melted into black sludge in the palm of her hand before disappearing entirely.

Seras then gasped in awe as Alucard easily sliced a branch off one of the trees with her bare hands before holding it as if it weighed nothing more than a feather. Seras' eyes had certainly widened at that one. Alucard was so fast and strong! She looked like she could take anyone on and would always end up as the one on top. She seemed perfect in every way and practically invincible! Once again, Seras supposed she should have been scared, but she was enjoying the show far too much, and it appeared that Alucard was actually liking the attention and was having fun showing off.

A black shadow then launched itself from the dark haired girl's body before it came to a stop just a few centimetres from Seras' face. One, two, three, four red eyes appeared from the dark mass, each slit pupil looking directly at her. Jagged teeth poked out of the half open mouth, and a serpent-like tongue slipped out to give her a big slobbery lick across her face.

"Ew!" Seras laughed as she wiped her face with the sleeve of her jumper. The terrifying beast in front of her appeared to be no more than a cute toy for Seras to play with. She had always wanted a pet, but her parents' working hours had never really allowed her to have one. And of course the orphanage would never allow her to adopt an animal.

"He's so cute!" Seras cooed as she stroked and scratched behind the growling demonic dog's ears.

"Baskerville has been called many things over the centuries, and 'cute' is not one of them," Alucard growled out as she approached them. Despite her tone, there was clear amusement shining within her red eyes as she stood next to the humongous hound, watching as Seras nuzzled her face into his dark fur.

"Well I think he's cute," Seras reiterated, gasping and laughing as her cheek was nudged by a cold and wet nose.

"He could crush your skull between his jaws."

"But he'd look cute while doing it." Seras continued to giggle.

Alucard shook her head before Baskerville vanished, leaving Seras to pout as her hands now lowered from the empty air where her new cuddly toy had been just moments before. She wished that she could stay out here like this with Alucard forever. She never wanted to go back. Maybe Alucard could take her to wherever she lived? Maybe she could work for the same person that she did?

"Come along, Police Girl. We've wasted too much time already." Alucard's voice caught her attention before she could begin panicking.

"Where are we going?" Though Seras had a terrible feeling she knew where.

"Seras don't start being a coward again!" Alucard snapped, and Seras looked down at her shoes, crestfallen.

There were a few moments of silence before Alucard sighed, her voice becoming softer and gentler. "You said you wanted to be my partner on this case, so that requires going back undercover in that place. You want to complete the mission, don't you?"

Seras looked up again with a small smile. "Yes."

"Then quit dawdling," Alucard replied, turning to march on ahead.

Seras' smile widened as she ran to catch up with the taller girl, and without thinking, reached down to grab hold of Alucard's hand. Alucard stiffened slightly before rolling her eyes, though she never yanked her hand out of Seras' grasp. Instead, the two girls continued to walk hand-in-hand through the rest of the park and onto the quiet streets before disappearing into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for comments and kudos! I'm so glad that people are enjoying this story, and I hope that you enjoyed reading the latest chapter. See you again soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to leave kudos or a comment to let me know your thoughts so far as it will really help me out. Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter!


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